Living with brittle bone disease at 80cm and 20kg: Strength beyond size
DNO - Born with brittle bone disease, Da Nang native Dang Thi Hong Anh, who stands just 80 centimeters tall and weighs under 20 kilograms, has lived with constant physical pain and the weight of quiet, sympathetic glances. Yet surrender was never her choice.
At 32, Hong Anh moves through life in a wheelchair. The eldest of three siblings, she faced profound loss early on. Her mother died when she was seven, and her father later remarried.
Her childhood dream of attending school like other children faded when no school agreed to admit her and there was no one available to take her there. Instead of giving up, she stayed home and taught herself.
Books, a computer and the internet became her classroom. After years of searching for a path that matched her physical condition, Hong Anh realized that computer-based work would allow her to build a future on her own terms.
In 2023, Hong Anh reached a milestone: securing a job as an image editor at a Japanese company in Da Nang. The role gives her control over her time, frees her from the limitations of travel, and provides space for her creativity to flourish.
Her professional journey soon became a source of encouragement for many people with disabilities seeking their place in society.
Determined to share her story, Hong Anh launched a YouTube channel called “Hong Anh’s Diary”.
The videos are simple and unembellished: snippets of her daily work routine, candid reflections, and small, ordinary moments of life.
Many of her videos have drawn hundreds of thousands of views, quietly spreading a message of perseverance and self-belief.
After nearly two years at the Japanese firm, increasing challenges with shift schedules and transportation led her to reconsider. Choosing flexibility over security, she stepped away to pursue independent work.
With modest savings, she began experimenting with small-scale online business. She learned through online courses, sold handbags, livestreamed snacks and agarwood products, and steadily built a customer base on social media.
Skilled with her hands, she crafts paper roses to sell during holidays. Each flower reflects both creativity and quiet determination.
In 2025, Hong Anh took another bold step by entering the Miss Crescent Moon Vietnam, a groundbreaking pageant for women with disabilities.
Travelling nearly 1,000 kilometers alone from Da Nang to Ho Chi Minh City for the national finals, she embraced the challenge as a personal milestone.
The competition was not simply about titles; it was an opportunity to advocate for greater inclusion and understanding. Though she did not claim the top crown, her journey left a lasting impression.
Today, back in her small rented room, Hong Anh continues her regular livestreams from her wheelchair. She is not seeking admiration. She is building a life deliberately, patiently and on her own terms.
Through resilience, creativity and self-belief, she reminds us that strength is not measured in physical power, it is measured in the courage to keep moving forward.